Recovery Week

Another week closer to the big day & although my training hours have dropped this week for recovery week, I am feeling pretty good. I've never been more ready for a race - its a very weird but humbling feeling that I only hope will continue to stay with me over the next few weeks.

Recovery week included a total of 6kms of swimming, 33kms of running & 150kms of cycling; about 12.5hrs of swim/bike/run training, plus 3 hrs of group fitness classes. I have been a bit slack on my new years resolution to do yoga every week but plan to get back on track this week, as I find it complements my training really well (never thought I would ever hear those words come out of my mouth! I used to be very anti-yoga. I thought it was too slow & boring. But, like every class, it is very dependent on the style & the teacher).

My program included 2 x 30km easy rides this week. I am not sure if you know Kirribilli very well but  there is absolutely no way to avoid hills, so I decided to embark on the use of my turbo trainer. Most people know I loathe this piece of equipment. The thought is sitting on a bike & not going anywhere bores me to tears. Some people have suggested putting on a movie or just cranking some music but I just can't seem to motivate myself enough, no matter how hard I try. I made the most of having an "easy" week so I just watched the news. Its funny, I can multi-task in so many different areas of my life, yet I can't seem to concentrate when I sit on a bike inside.

My runs this week have felt a lot better than last week; 15km on Tuesday, 8km on Thursday & 10km on Saturday. I'm still slow running up hills but my heel has loosened up from all the stretching. Good girl, go me! I had to do a couple of the runs in the rain this week & at first, I always whinge about it being wet (because all I can think about is having to run in sludgy wet socks - ugh), but once I am out there, I feel like a big kid. Its amazing how a bit of water can feel so liberating!

                                             View from Circular Quay on my run this week

I have somehow managed to stay injury free this year - until a couple of days ago. Yet another injury caused when not training! I swam 3km on Thursday night & when I went to bed that night, I must've have slept on it funny. I woke up on Friday morning, barely able to turn my head. My neck was in absolute agony. I had to teach Body Attack that morning so I spent the good part of an hour at home before the class with a golf ball up against the wall, trying to massage it into my upper back/neck! If only I had a video camera handy - I looked so awkward, but god it was awesome. Definitely loosened it up but unfortunately it was only temporary relief & I had to see my physio yesterday (the miracle worker, Michael Lee from Performance Care in Crows Nest). Turns out the joint in my shoulder blade was so tight from pulling a muscle that was attached to my thoracic spine...WHILE I WAS SLEEPING! This could only happen to me. Hopefully its better by tomorrow. Stretch, stretch, stretch.

Sunday was one of the very few times in my life where I have actually enjoyed riding, because I was with a bunch of people from BTC who all stuck together the whole way. There was chit chat & banter & it was really fun to catch up with friends who I hadn't seen in a while. I can't imagine how people train for Ironman on their own. Its crazy. I had to do an easy 90km today which was all going to plan up until the 30km mark. We hit McCarrs Creek Rd (a long, winding bitch of a hill) & somehow, this fire ignited in me & I was ready to see what my legs could do. I pretty much sprinted from the bottom to the top & rode til my lungs were about to burst. I made it 3/4 of the way up before a couple of the girls started overtaking me - story of my life! But it was a lot further than what I used to be able to do before being overtaken! Team BTC were so encouraging & motivating, and I was feeling even more confident about Ironman by the end of the ride.

Here's a YouTube clip I found of McCarr's Creek Rd. It was taken by someone on a motorbike but will give you an idea of how steep it can get:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9_3C5bnoyI.

Super pumped for rest day Monday & hoping the weather gods will be good to me this week. Although the rain somehow makes me feel somewhat invincible & hardcore!

Thank you to everyone who played a part in helping me train this week. And for believing in me so much. I am so excited for race day (and not even the least bit nervous about running my first marathon)!

Happy training & HTFU,

Bel

Ready for Ironman!

There's just 7 weeks to go before what will probably be the biggest race of my life - Ironman Australia.  Having never completed this distance before (3.8km of swimming, 180kms of cycling & 42kms of running within 17 hours), I always have people asking me how I am going to do it. So I usually just say, "its like going to the gym when it opens, and working out non-stop until it closes." I thought that was quite a good analogy! Thankfully, I have a lot of understanding friends & family who can appreciate the hard work & commitment that it takes to get to the start line of an Ironman. I don't think people realise the impact that all the training can have on your body. And your social life. But I do know that when I run up that finishing chute, all the hard work, training, focus & commitment will pay off. Imagine being able to say you have completed an Ironman?! Its going to be AWESOME! Some Ironman athletes are training 2-3 hours per day, and more than double that on weekends. And I admit that it is kind of crazy but I figure if I only ever do it once, I want to do it right!

This week has been one my favourite training weeks so far. Lots of ups & downs but generally feeling good about my training, and my body has held up surprisingly well. This week, I did 2 x swims, 3 x rides & 3 runs, plus 4 x group fitness classes (2 x Body Pump, 1 x Body Attack & 1 x Yoga).  


After my rest day on Monday, my legs felt fresh for the BTC Girls Ride around Mosman. I cranked out 35kms of hills & backed up that evening & taught Body Pump. My participants have been very understanding of my training. Luckily I can still kick their asses without them thinking I am just being a weak! I really can't afford to be sore all the time and at the moment, Ironman is the sole focus.


On Wednesday, I did my longest run of 2012; I ran 19.5km from Kirribilli, out to Clontarf Beach & back. I found a trail from The Spit that was a mixture of sand, dirt, track, stairs, wooden bridges, metal grates & cement! I had to walk up a lot of the stairs because my achilles/heel were in agony, & I stopped a couple of times for water, but I pulled up ok the next day. Thankfully there aren't any hill climbs in Ironman (that I know of), because they have been a real struggle for me lately with my ankle. I used to be so good at running up hills, damnit!

 

 

Thursday was the most hardcore session I've ever experienced in the 5 or so years I have been doing triathlon. The weather forecast predicted 100% chance of rain but my iPhone is always wrong so I headed out anyway. I had 55kms to do & I wasn't going to sit on my wind trainer for that long. When I left home, it was 5.15am, dark & just drizzling. About 16*C. I usually ride with at least one other person as I am still not very comfortable on my own but I didn't have anyone to go with me this time so I just thought, HTFU, you can do this.


The road was relatively quiet on the way out & as soon as I hit The Spit bridge, the rain stopped. It was brilliant. I rode all the way out to Narrabeen but on the way back, traffic towards the city started to pick up. And so did the rain coming back towards Mosman. I was very nervous about riding down The Spit on my own, especially with all the traffic. It was very wet which meant braking was going to be a lot harder. On some parts of the ride, I remember laughing at myself because the rain was literally pelting down to the point of insanity. And the faster I went, the more water went into my eyes. Mix that with a bit of sweat, and you get some serious stinging going on!


I used the iMayMyRun app to log my kms (my Garmin battery died & I forgot to recharge it), but when I got home, it said I had only done 45kms. I was gutted! And by then, my socks were absolutely drenched. So I hopped onto the wind trainer for another 20 mins. I could've gone upstairs & given up but I figured if I survived the storm, a little bit extra wasn't going to kill me. I set it all up in the garage downstairs & 5 mins into it, I saw thunder & lightning outside. How lucky am I?! In hindsight, it probably was a stupid thing to do but I don't regret it one bit. Here's a video summary of the ride:

The weather was that miserable, I decided to put my pj's on & watch some television. I got called into work a few hours later which was probably a good thing or I would've planted my ass on the couch all day!

I was feeling so good after my morning cycle & after work, I headed to the pool for a swim session. I decided to go indoors because it was cold & I figured I had used up all my hardcoreness that morning (!!). But it was too busy & I couldn't get into a rhythm. And then the lifeguard (at North Sydney Olympic Pool) told me, just as I started my strength set, they they don't allow you to use paddles. WTF?! What kind of rule is that?! Apparently its considered dangerous. Doesn't make sense to me because every other pool I have ever been to doesn't have this rule. Can anyone shed some light on this? Anyway, I lasted almost a kilometre before I got the sh!ts & ended up stretching in the sauna for about 15 mins instead! Was just having one of those days where I just wasn't feeling it. 


On Friday, I did an awesome 10km tempo run across the bridge & around the Opera House (again, I am still having to stop a couple of times to walk) but I finished in 54 mins so I was pretty happy with that.  Because I had missed the Thursday swim session, I was determined to have another crack at it so I headed to St Leonards Fitness First 25 indoor pool on Saturday morning (with my paddles)! I smashed out 2.5kms & felt bloody awesome. I then went to an awesome Organic Hatha yoga class at Yoga Sivana (Ourimbah Rd). At the end, you get to lie down, put a blanket over your body & a little lavender bean bag on your eyes at the end! Its amazing!

Saturday afternoon, I had the most awesome massage from Sharna at Mosman Remedial Massage on Military Rd (http://www.mosmanremedialmassage.com.au/). I can't recommend her highly enough. I told her my body was feeling pretty good & that I wasn't too sore, despite all the training I had been doing. Then the minute she started working on my legs, there was a change of opinion! Another 45 mins spent purely on my quads & glutes. Oh dear. Back to the foam roller I go.


Sunday was the big kahuna; 130kms on the bike & a 6km run. I headed up Pacific Hwy with a couple of the BTC girls, Willo & Bel B. We rode past Hornsby & Berowra up to Pie in the Sky (which I had never done before). It was so serene riding through the gorge. I can't believe I have never ridden up that way before. We continued along past the bridge then turned around & rode home via Bobbin Head (another route I had never done, consisting of a very steep descent followed by a 4km climb). When we were riding up Bobbin Head, these two amazing runners were running side by side up the hill. We all took turns overtaking one another & these guys were absolutely gunning it. It was amazing. Poor Bel B yells out to me later, "what rider gets overtaken by a bloody runner eh!?" Classic! They were absolute speed freaks. It was very inspiring. I almost stopped to ask them what they were doing on 6th May & if they could be our pace runners while we're on the bike for Ironman! When I finally got home, I put my running shoes on & did a loop around Luna Park & up the hill towards McMahons Pt & back. No walking! 6kms in under 35 mins. Stoked!


I also trialled some nutrition on the bike which went well & I never felt dehydrated or thirsty. Before I left the house, I had 3 x nutella ryvita's (I didn't have any bread in the house), then on the bike, I had three gels, a bottle of electrolyte, 2.5 bottles of water & 2 x mountain bread wraps with vegemite. I love the rolling buffet! When I got home, I had another bottle of water & electrolyte. Followed by 4 x eggs & some chicken on a mountain bread wrap! That evening, I went out to dinner with my Mum, Dad & Aunty Jan where I consumed the equivalent meal to feed a small country (let me paint a picture for you: about 6 bowls of rice plus a couple of servings from about 5 other dishes). BEAST!

When I got home after my training session on Sunday afternoon, I had the biggest endorphin rush I've ever felt. It was weird. I thought for sure I was going to be exhausted but no. Sure, my legs were tired but I felt like I rode & ran really well & for the first time ever, I really do feel confident about racing on 6th May. 


After a bath & a nice big stretch, the only thing that motivated me to move was the promise of food in kitchen. Train like a beast, eat like a beast, then sleep like a baby. WIN.


Like everyone, I experience some really positive times in my training but I wouldn't be normal if I didn't have my fair share of mental breakdowns. Sometimes we question ourselves during training; whether or not we have what it takes to do the race, especially during those really tough sessions when you're just hating life. I know I've had plenty of sookie-la-la moments. The key is learning how to fight back. It has taken practice & I don't claim to have the miracle cure for how to HTFU, but I promise there IS light at the end of the tunnel if you just have a bit of patience. I guarantee you, that feeling...it's worth it's weight in gold.


Happy training peeps & thanks for taking the time to read my blog,



The Fonginator
HTFU

Clocking up the big K's

Welcome to the biggest training week for The Fonginator so far; 7.8kms of swimming, 183kms of cycling & 28.5kms of running. Plus three group fitness classes and a yoga class. Phew! This week, I learnt just how much IM training can take over your life. So I apologise in advance to any of my friends & family outside of triathlon who probably won't see me for the next 8 weeks, unless you are planning to join me for some swimming/cycling/running.

BTC Girls Ride

This week was filled with lots of adventures. First up, was the BTC Girls ride which happens every Tuesday morning. If it wasn't for these girls, there is absolutely no way I would be getting up before 5am to train. It's starting to get a lot colder/darker now so this is when the HTFU strategy really kicks in. As painful as the hills around Mosman are, these girls help get my butt on the saddle each week.

 

                                      

LONGEST RUN SO FAR

On Wednesday, my friend Kate Murray (Death Squad) & I braved the rain & did 15km across the bridge & around Mrs Macquarie's Chair. My heels hurt big time anytime I had to run on an incline, so I had to walk a bit of it & I didn't feel very fast at all during the run. But at the moment, I am just trying not to re injure myself so I am happy to even just be running at all.

RIDING HOME IN THE HARDEST GEAR

On Thursday, Dani French (fellow BTC member) & I decided to chance the weather & head out for a ride along the northern beaches. I had to do 45km & I didn't want to do continuous loops of Mosman as we already do that on a Tuesday (and for those of you who don't know, I get bored really easily). Thankfully the weather held off & we ended up doing just over the amount I needed, although some parts of the ride were a bit sketchy at 5.30am; riding along Burnt Bridge Creek in complete darkness was a little eerie. Felt like we were in a scene from the Blair Witch Project. We got to Collaroy & turned around, and 5 mins later, SNAP! Gear shifter - GONE! I was stuck in the small chain ring, in the hardest gear & I couldn't get out of it. After about 15 mins of trying to move the chain over, take the back wheel off, turn the bike upside down & attempt to look like I knew what I was doing, we decided to just ride back & worst case scenario, if the traffic got bad & I couldn't handle the hills, I would try & hail a cab the rest of the way home. Dani & I both had to work that morning so I sent her off to rush back when we turned off the Spit Bridge & I just ticked the legs over til I got home. I am proud to say I only got off once (in Mosman, on the hill leading up to Spofforth St - a killer in granny gear, let alone anything else & I felt like I was going to fall off I was going so slow). I ended up getting grease all over the new (very expensive) rain jacket that I bought from lululemon a few days before, which I was not very happy about. But a huge thank you to Dani for staying with me, even though she had to rush to work. If it wasn't for her, I would've stood on the side of the road crying & waiting to hail a cab! If anyone has any tips on how to get grease out of clothes, please let me know. Otherwise I might try & take it to the dry cleaners.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MASSAGE

I ended up pulling a muscle in my left quad from the ride that morning so I booked in for a massage with Sharna at Mosmant Remedial Massage on Military Rd (http://www.mosmanremedialmassage.com.au). I had never seen her before but her colleague had dropped in some flyers at lululemon this week & she was able to see me at the last minute. I wouldn't have been able to handle the torture of trying to foam roller them myself. I'd much rather pay someone to inflict that kind of pain! Anyway, it was one of the best massages I've had to date. She was one of the very few therapists who knew the exact amount of pressure that I needed. My quads are extremely sensitive (I can barely handle any kind of pushing on my legs, its weird) & I have found other massages to either be too soft (I need them worked on), or too hard (where I end up tensing up the whole time, totally defeating the purpose of the massage). Sharna did some pressure point release which made a huge difference in releasing tension & just so happened to mention that I had the tightest quads she had ever seen. Oops. Better start becoming re-aquainted with the foam roller again!

BACK TO GROUP FITNESS

On Friday, I taught Body Attack - the first time I did high impact for the full 55 mins since surgery. I wanted to puke by the end but god it was awesome! I'm feeling a bit fitter on stage now, as I make the transition from low to high impact but my god, my glutes were in pain the next day!! My burnin' loins!

MCSHITTY WEATHER IN SHITNEY

For those of you who aren't in Sydney, the weather has been absolutely miserable here since...forever. Flash flooding throughout NSW making it nearly impossible to ride safely on the road. I am seriously contemplating moving to Perth next year. The rain is depressing me! But I had my big ride to do & nothing was going to stop me. I headed out to the safety of Centennial Park at 6am, ready to tackle my first triple digit ride. I saw a few Balmoral peeps at the brick session who yelled out to me & that kept me going for a bit (thanks Owain, Mary & Nicole) but by the time it was light, I was over it. I lasted almost 2hrs at a very slow pace until I was rescued by Kelli Fischer (fellow BTC member & also my long ride buddy) who took me out to do the La Perouse route (30km round trip from Centennial Park). Tracy Webber (BTC) joined us for the second Le Perouse lap & thankfully the rain held off til the end of the ride. When we clocked 103km, the heaven's opened & it started bucketing down. I dropped my bike off & then ran 5.5kms off the bike at around 5 min k's so I was pretty happy! I got home & Kelli made the most amazing omelette I've ever tasted. Exactly what I needed.

THE LIFE OF A TIRED TRIATHLETE

My friends, Jess & Jimbo had their daughter Grace's 1st Birthday Party that morning so I arrived at lunchtime to join in the festivities but by the time it got to about 2pm, I started to hit the wall. I didn't realise until this weekend just how much of a toll IM training takes on the body. After a quick catch up with my friend Elaine (who had just finished the 50km Coastal Trek & was visiting from Perth), I went home for a nap then finished off a swim set at St Leonards Fitness First. The reason I chose that pool is that it has a steam room, so I sat in there afterwards & stretched as much as I could. So good!

CAPTAIN CLUMSY FALLS AGAIN

This morning (Sunday), I had an 8km tempo run to do. On my way up the bridge stairs, I bumped into Carl & Sean (from Death Squad & Walker St Fitness First) who were doing a 10km recovery run in preparation for 6 Foot Track race next weekend. Perfect. I ran a lot faster than what I would've done on my own so it was great. I miss running with other people. Its so much more fun! Anyway, we turned around at the Opera House & as we were coming through Circular Quay past the ferry terminal, I tripped on a raised bit of the footpath & went SMACK into the pavement, arms out in front, superman-style. And the first thing to hit the ground was my knee. The result: a massive golf-ball:

Thankfully its rest day tomorrow, so lots of stretching & icing & then another big week planned ahead for training. Sometimes I wonder how I am ever going to finish this race, especially when I am going so slow on the bike during training. But I know I just have to keep digging & keep pushing harder, because it is all going to pay off on Sunday 6th May. Let's hope the weather holds out because I do not want a repeat of what the WTC did for IMNZ - cancel the race! Imagine how upset the first timers would've been? I know these are circumstances beyond our control but the devastation would be awful. Am thinking of my friend Toni Hodge who would've raced the 70.3 instead. C'mon Mother Nature, don't let us down!

Before I go, I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped me train this week; company is the one thing that is going to get me through the next 8 weeks & I can't stress enough how important it is to me, both mentally & physically. You guys rock!

Thanks for reading my blog. See you next week! The way the rain is going, we're going to need more of that gold plated HTFU. Perhaps on a platter this time??

Bel